Posts by Darnell Miller ’10, MLA ‘15
Catholic Youth of the World Unite
Catholic youth from around the world gathered in Lisbon, Portugal to celebrate their faith during World Youth Day 2023. Joseph Troxler, a UST student active in his faith life, attended and experienced a sense of new sense of the Universal Church.
Today he shares his experience from World Youth Day. He explains how the pre-WYD trip to Spain was among the motivating factors in going. His family practices a devotion to the Carmelites and Our Lady of Fatima and Joseph shares how his visits to Avila, Toledo and Fatima illuminated his faith life. He is excited to be able to bring back and share his insights, photos and experiences with his family.
From there, he joined more than a million Catholic youth for the opening Mass. It was during this Mass where he first got a sense of how big the Body of Christ really is.
One of his key insights was Pope Francis as our shepherd. Joseph holds a special affinity for Christ the Good Shepherd, and this experience
Episode 2 – The Cultivation of Purpose with Leah Darrow: Faith, Farming and Vocation
We’re in the phase of renewal with Leah, Ricky and the family in episode two of Cultivation of Purpose. We get a little deeper into why they are doing the particular tasks they have picked as farmers and how their kids fit into the mix. Darnell shares his perspective of Big Family Farm and why what they are doing matters. We see family life overlap with the grind of chores each day.
This is a raw look at what it’s like when someone genuinely follows their dream - as difficult or confusing as it may seem. The hard parts of being on mission with God show themselves in unexpected ways for Leah and Ricky. You’ll see moments of beauty with their children and success on the farm, but then also immense sadness with the miscarriage of their baby. Leah helps us ponder and sift through the intricacies of renewal while living your dream in episode 2.
Episode 1 – The Cultivation of Purpose with Leah Darrow: Faith, Farming and Vocation
Episode One of the three-part series, produced by University of St. Thomas Houston’s MAX Studios, featuring Leah Darrow, her husband Ricky Soldinie and their family becoming new farmers on Big Family Farm in Fordland, Missouri.
In episode one, you get to know Leah, Ricky, their kids and the 80-acre property they now call home. They left the suburbs of St. Louis for a simpler, albeit more challenging, life as farmers. You’ll see a day in the life of this family - feeding chickens and pigs, getting food on the table, and prepping for their main source of income in agri-tourism - four Saturdays in October called Pumpkin Days.
MAX Studios’ Bridget Richardson and Darnell Miller join them on the farm and ponder their own questions about this new exploration for this family on Big Family Farm.
Throughout the episode, Leah and Ricky continue to call you to take stock of your own life and be aware of what may be missing for you. Ask yourself the challenging question, “Are you happy?”
Art and the Common Good
Art is powerful. It challenges us to see things from new perspectives and can transform our hearts and minds. We talk to a Houston native GONZO247, a graffiti artist and muralist whose own life was transformed by art, about the importance of art, community and the intersection of the two. He talks about start, influences and the breadth of his impressive career.
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